Key lockable latch structure



Aug. 4, 1959 A. G. GUMPORT KEY LOCKABLE LATCH STRUCTURE Filed Oct. '7, 1955 a a z m 5 5 RM 0 u ,M m m ,j I. 5 x 1 MM a 2 a F .nlz l j A. 2 2/ m M M 7 w 0 m w b 1% A WWI W a a 2 a F (I 1% W 5 a W). a

United States Patent; 6

KEY LOCKABLE LATCH STRUCTURE Alfred G. Gumport, Caldwell, NJ., assignor to Presto Lock Co., Garfield, N.J., a limited partnership Application October 7, 1955, Serial No. 539,121

2 Claims. (Cl. 70-70) This invention relates to a latch structure for application to receptacles comprising separable parts desired to be releasably secured in close together relation.

The invention has for an object to provide a key lockable l atch structure provided by a body section adapted to be aflixed to one of the separable receptacle parts and operative to releasably engage a keeper section adapted to be affixed to the other of the separable receptacle parts, said latch structure comprising a very simple arrangement and relation of elements which are few in number, comprising but five parts exclusive of fastening elements by which the body and keeper section are aflixed to the receptacle.

The invention has for a further object to provide a key lockable latch structure provided by a body section adapted to be affixed to one of the separable partsof a receptacle and operative to releasably engage a keeper section adapted to be afiixed to the other separable part of a receptacle; said body section comprising a stationary internal frame member upon which is slidably supported a movable external latching member, adapted to be moved relative to said stationary internal member into and out of holding engagement with catch tongue or tongues with which the keeper section is provided; spring means being provided for yieldably retaining said movable latching member in said catch tongue or tongues engaging position; and said internal frame member being provided with key actuatable lock bolt means for releasably restraining catch tongue or tongues disengaging manipulation of the movable external latching member.

The above and other objects will be understood from a reading of the following detailed description of this invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front face view of a latch structure according to this invention, shown in latching condition; and Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the latch structure in latching condition, the movable external latching member being shown in vertical longitudinal section; Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view, taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 3; and Fig. 5 is a horizontal crosssectional view taken on line 5-5 in Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to that of Fig. 3, but showing the movable external latching member longitudinally moved to disengage the catch tongues of the keeper section.

Fig. 7 is a View similar to that of Fig. 3, but showing the lock bolt of the frame member moved to restrain catch tongue disengaging manipulation of the movable exter nal latching member.

Referring to the drawings, in which like characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts, the reference character 10 indicates the front wall of a receptacle body to be served by the lockable latch structure of this invention and 11 the front wall of a separable cover member with which the receptacle body is pro- Vided.

2,897,666 Ce Patented Aug. 4, 1959 The body section of the latch structure is adapted to be mounted upon the outer face of the front wall 10 of the receptacle body, and comprises an outwardly open, hollow internal frame member formed by a base plate 12, from the respective top and bottom longitudinal margins of which extend an outwardly projecting top wall 13 and an outwardly projecting bottom wall 14. Formed in connection with the end portions of said base plate are anchoring prongs 15, which project rearwardly therefrom at a right angle to the plane thereof. These anchoring prongs are adapted to pierce the receptacle front wall 10, so that their free end portions can be clinched over against the inner face of the latter (see Fig. 5), thereby to aihx the frame member to the receptacle body. Although said prongs 15 provide a convenient and perhaps preferable means for fastening the frame member to the receptacle body wall, it will be obvious that any other suitable means may be utilized for such purpose.

Mounted upon and enclosing the stationary frame member, and so as to be slidably supported thereby for longitudinal movements relative thereto, is the external latching member of the body section. Said latching member comprises a rectangular, inwardly open, hollow shell formed by a front face wall 16, longitudinal top and bottom walls 17 and 18, a forward end wall 19 and a rearward end wall 20. Said latching member shell is of a length in excess of the length of the stationary frame member. Means is provided to prevent separative outward displacement of the external latching member shell from the stationary internal frame member, while nevertheless leaving the former free for longitudinal sliding movements relative to the latter. Such means comprises external longitudinal guide grooves or channels 21 respectively formed at and along the junctures of the top and bottom walls 13 and 14 withthe base plate 12 of the stationary frame member. Slidably engaging in said guide grooves or channels 21 are longitudinal guide ribs or flanges 22 respectively formed to extend from and along the free margins of the top and bottom walls 17 and 18 of the latching member shell (see Fig. 4).

The keeper section of the latch structure is adapted to be mounted upon the outer face of the front wall 11 of the receptacle cover member in alignment with the body section of the latch structure, and in opposition to the top thereof, and comprises a suitably shaped keeper body 23, which is preferably provided along its top with an outwardly projecting finger piece 24, by which, when released from latched engagement with said body section, it can be lifted to raise and open the receptacle cover member. Said keeper body can be affixed to the receptacle cover member wall 11 by any suitable fastening means, such e.g. as by fastening rivets 25 (see Fig. 4). Projecting downwardly from the bottom of the keeper body 23 is at least one and preferably two spaced apart catch tongues 26, which are inwardly offset from the plane of the front face of the keeper body so as to lie in a plane parallel to and intermediate the Ifront and back planes of the body section of the latch structure. Said catch tongues are pro vided with tapered free'end portions, and the rearward marginal portions of said catch tongues are indented to provide the same with catch shoulders 27.

Provided in the top wall 17 of the latching member shell are openings or slots 28 which, when said shell is moved rearwardly along the stationary frame member of the body section, are brought into alignment with the catch tongues 26, whereby the latter can enter therethrough, so that when thereafter said latching member shell is moved forwardly, bordering portions of said top wall 17 of the latter will engage over the catch shoulders 27 of said catch tongues, thus latching together the keeper section and body section of the latching structure. The top wall 13 of the stationary frame member is also 3 provided with openings 29 through which the catch tongues 26 can pass.

Upstanding from the rear end of the base plate 12 of the stationary frame member are abutment elements 30, against which the rear end wall 20 of the latching member shell is stopped, wherebyto determine the normal latching position thereof.

Mounted in connection with the forward end of the frame member base plate 12 is spring means operative to engage the forward end wall 19 of the latching member shell, whereby to move said shell to and yieldably hold the same in its normal latching position. An illustrative form and arrangement of such spring means comprises a spring member formed by an anchoring leg 31 and a resilient leg 32. The anchoring leg 31 is disposed parallel to the forward end of the frame member'base plate 12, and is suitably affixed thereto, as e.g. by support thereof between vertically spaced supporting lugs 33 and 34 upstanding from said base plate. The resilient leg 32 inclines upwardly and outwardly from the lower end of the anchoring leg, so that its free end tensionally bears against the interior face of the forward end wall 19 of the latching member shell, thereby yieldably thrusting said shell forwardly to its normal latching position, wherein its rear end wall 20 is stopped against the abutment elements of the stationary frame member (see Fig. 3).

To release the latching member shell from its latched engagement with the catch tongues 26 of the keeper section body 23, said shell is manually slid rearwardly on the stationary frame member against the tension of the spring 31-32, thereby shifting the openings or slots 28 into alignment with the catch tongues 26 so as to disengage the top wall 17 of said shell from the catch shoulders 27 of said catch tongues (see Fig. 6). Under these conditions the keeper section body 23 can be lifted to withdraw the catch tongues upwardly and outwardly from the body section of the latch structure, thus freeing the receptacle cover member for opening movement. The simplicity of the structure as adapted for such operation should now be apparent.

As a further feature of this invention, a key actuatable lock bolt means is provided, by means of which, at desired times, the latching member shell of the body section of the latch structure can be secured against catch tongue releasing movement. This lock bolt means comprises a longitudinal bolt member 35 that is slidably supported within the stationary frame member upon the bottom wall 14 thereof, and which is so disposed that its free end can be projected toward the forward end wall 19 of the latching member shell. Doubled back from the rearward or inner end of the bolt member 35, preferably as an integral part thereof, is a resilient control arm 36, which is provided at its free end portion with a lock shoulder 37 that terminates in a somewhat downwardly inclined, forwardly extending guide finger 38. Struck up out of the base plate 12 of the stationary frame member is a locking abutment or post 39. Formed in the control arm 36, intermediate its ends, is an upwardly projecting cam section 40. Adjacent to said cam section 40, the base plate 12 of the stationary frame member is provided with a bearing opening 41, that is adapted to receive, and serve as the pivoting fulcnum for, the stem of a bitted actuating key (not shown), which key can be inserted through an admission key hole 42 with which the front face wall 16 of the latching member shell is provided. When the bolt member 35 is retracted to its inactive or released positiomit is stopped against a stop abutment 43 upstanding from the base plate 12 of the stationary frame member, and by which its inactive or released position is determined. When the bolt member 35 occupies a retracted inactive position, the {guide finger 38 of its control arm 36 engages beneath the locking abutment or post 39 thus holding the control arm tensionally depressed.

To project the bolt member 35 to its locking position, the actuating key is inserted in the body section of the latch structure, and then rotated clockwise to carry a bit of said key into engagement with cam section 40 of the control arm 36. As the key 'bit is turned forwardly against said cam section 40, it exerts a forward thrust thereupon which slides forward the control arm and bolt member, so that the lock shoulder 37 of the former is carried past the locking abutment or post 39, whereupon as the key :bit disengages the cam section 40, the tension of the control arm will lift the lock shoulder 37 into position to be stopped against the forward face of said locking abutment or post 39 (see Fig. 7), thus restraining the lock bolt against retractive movement relative to the stationary frame member. By the time this occurs, the lock bolt 35 completes its advance so as to abut the for ward end wall 19 of the latching member she'll, thereby to'obstruct rearward movement of said latchingmember shell, and thus preventing release thereof from its latching engagement with the keeper member catch tongues 26.

To retract the lock bolt to its inactive position, the inserted actuating key is rotated counter clockwise whereby the key bit is moved rearwardly against the cam section 40, thereby to first depress the control arm so as to disengage its lock shoulder 37 from the locking abutment or post 39, and thereupon to slide back said control arm and the lock bolt to released position.

Although the provision of the lock bolt means will be found desirable in most cases, the same may be omitted in an embodiment of this invention desired to solely provide latching effect.

Having now described my invention, I claim:

1. A latch structure for a receptacle comprising separable parts the front walls of which are aligned in a common plane, a latching means comprising an internal frame member adapted to be afiixed to the front wall of one of said receptacle parts and having outwardly projecting longitudinal top and bottom walls, and an external longitudinally movable hollow latching member having inwardly projecting longitudinal top and bottom walls and end walls, the longitudinal walls being slidably supported by the top and bottom walls of the frame member for endwise movement of the latching member relative to said frame member; a keeper member adapted to be affixed to the front wall of the other of said receptacle parts in opposition to said latching means and provided with catch tongue means, the top wall of the internal frame member having admission means through which said catch tongue means is received, the top wall of the external latching member having admission means through which said catch tongue means can pass, longitudinal movements of the latching member being operative to engage the top wall thereof with and disengage the same from said catch tongue means, a V-shaped spring, means to affix one leg of said spring to an end of the internal frame member with the other leg of said spring disposed to thrustingly engage the adjacent end wall of the latching member, whereby to longitudinally move the latter in one direction to a position stopped by the opposite end of the frame member, in which position the latching member engages the catch tongue means with latching elfect releasable by manually effected longitudinal movement of the latching member in the opposite direction.

I (References on following page) 5 References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 200,904 Flocke Mar. 5, 1878 438,823 Price Oct. 21, 1890 5 1,559,898 Lotz Nov. 3, 1925 6 Thiele Feb. 25, 1941 Levine Aug. 25, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Switzerland Mar. 16, 1946 Great Britain Mar. 16, 1948 

